HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - The house at 1602 Montdale Road in southeast Huntsville is a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house with about 2,500 square feet after the remodeling.

Best the construction manager can tell, the house was built in 1960, when the Blossomwood subdivision was new.

The original house had brown bricks, about 1,550 square feet, salmon tile in the bathrooms, no front porch.

But today, after about five months of remodeling, there is a new master bedroom, a new family room, a front porch and raised ceilings, among other things.

The house is the first Remodelers Idea Home on the Huntsville/Madison County Builders Association Spring Tour of Homes, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.

The tour will continue next weekend and includes 44 builders and remodelers. There is no charge to view the homes.

There are eight remodeled homes and 85 new homes. Remodels range from $25,000 to $175,000. New homes are $119,000 to $985,000.

The Remodelers Idea Home is for sale, too, listed at $448,900.

"The purpose in doing this project was basically to show the general public what can be done to an existing home," said Lynn Kilgore, executive director of the Huntsville/Madison County Builders Association. "This was a total home renovation."

For about 50 years, the house on Montdale Road had essentially remained the same. The same family had owned it until it was sold last year.

Then the remodeling began around the first of the year. Betsy Hyman, director of Southern HOUSEpitality, was the construction manager.

For about two years, the association had considered the prospect of a remodelers idea home.

"The idea was conceived in a remodelers council while I was chair," Hyman said. "I have been a part of this project from the very beginning. We are trudging new ground."

To trudge new ground, though, Hyman had to overcome severe weather in the winter and spring, causing her to condense a five-month project into 3 1/2 months.

The tornadoes of April 27 caused the Spring Tour to move from early May to this weekend.

"It's been a huge challenge," Hyman said. "Until you do one of these the first time, you don't know what you're getting into. It was a natural progression for this association because we're moving more toward remodeling."

The original roof was removed and the original garage was turned into a family room with a fireplace. The ceilings were raised from 8 feet to 9.

About 900 square feet was added.

"Everyone who walks through is amazed by the change," Hyman said.

The project began in earnest in February, after the severe winter weather, Hyman said. Her goal was to "give (the house) an elegant feel.

"It's an elegant craftsman style," she said.

The remodeling also incorporated green-building practices. Among them: Replacing the old windows with energy-efficient windows and reusing the original brick that was removed during construction.

Some of the original hardwood floors were refinished.

"This was even better than any of us dreamed it would be," Kilgore said. "A lot of our members stepped up to the plate and wanted to participate in this project."